Chesty Cough

Everyone’s had a chesty cough and a tight chest at some point or other. Unfortunately, a chesty cough can take up to three weeks to leave, causing you to assure people around you that you’re “actually fine, it’s just an old cough” several times a day.^1,2 … Read More See less

While a mild cough can be incredibly irritating and even hinder your ability to get a good night’s sleep, it’s rarely a cause for concern. Most coughs and chesty coughs tend to clear up on their own over time, with a little help from chesty cough suppressants and other cough mixtures for chesty coughs along the way.^1,2

However, there are some instances when you should speak to a GP about a cough and even some symptoms that indicate the need to seek urgent care. In this article, we’ll take you through what these are and how to treat a chesty cough.

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What is a chesty cough?

A cough is a natural reflex that enables your body to remove phlegm and irritants (e.g. dust or smoke) from your upper airway (your throat) and lower airway (your lungs).^1,2

Before you cough, an irritant stimulates nerves that send a message to your brain.³ The brain tells the muscles in your chest and stomach area to force out the irritant by pushing air out of your lungs.³ So, while it’s annoying, coughing helps your body to protect itself from irritants.²

Depending on the underlying cause and how long you’ve had it for, there are a few different types of cough:^2,4

Acute cough – occurs suddenly and lasts for two to three weeks
Subacute cough – lingers after you’ve had an infection and lasts between three to eight weeks
Chronic cough (or persistent cough) –continues for longer than eight weeks
Refractory cough – a chronic cough that doesn’t get better with treatment

A dry cough doesn’t produce any phlegm.^1,2 However, a chesty cough is also known as a ‘wet cough’, as it produces phlegm that you cough up to help clear your airways.^1,2,5

What causes a chesty cough?

The main things that make you cough are irritants or allergens and medical conditions. Of these, the following can cause a chesty cough:^1,2,4,6–12

Smoking – the chemicals in nicotine can damage the small hairs (cilia) which line your airways and cause your airways to produce more mucus than usual
Mould – black mould produces spores which can enter the air and cause an allergic reaction when you breathe them in
A cold or flu – a respiratory infection due to a cold or flu can cause your airways to produce more mucus
Whooping cough (pertussis) – causes intense bouts of coughing, hacking and even vomiting. This characteristic cough sounds like a ‘whoop’
Acute and chronic bronchitis – inflammation of the bronchial tubes that carry air into your lungs
Pneumonia – a lower respiratory tract infection caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi
Asthma – a chronic condition which generally causes a dry cough but causes a wet cough in some people
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (copd) – an umbrella term for a group of lung conditions that affect the tiny air sacs within the lungs or the bronchial tubes
Postnasal drip – when mucus from your nose and sinuses drips down the back of your throat and triggers a cough
Heart conditions – if the heart has difficulty pumping blood throughout the body it can cause fluid to leak into the air sacs within the lungs
Bronchiectasis – when chronic inflammation causes the surface tissue of the bronchial tubes to become thick, floppy, and scarred, resulting in excess mucus production

When you should see your GP for a chesty cough

According to the NHS, you should speak to your GP if you have:¹

Breathlessness which is not getting better
Had a burning chesty cough for more than 3 weeks
Symptoms that are not improving or are affecting your daily life

Your GP may want to conduct some further tests to find out what’s causing your cough.¹ For example, they may:^1,13

Listen to your chest with a stethoscope
Refer you for a chest x-ray
Refer you for allergy or breathing tests
Send a sample of your phlegm to a lab to be studied for signs of infection
Refer you to see a specialist, though this is rare

When to seek urgent care from your GP

You should contact your GP practice for an urgent appointment if you:¹

Are experiencing more shortness of breath than usual
Are in pain when breathing in or coughing
Are feeling confused, dizzy, or lightheaded
Feel sick or are being sick
Are coughing up blood
Have heart palpitations (feel like your heart is racing, going too slowly or skipping a beat)
Are urinating less than usual
Have a very high or low temperature

When to phone 999 or go to A&E

You should phone 999 or go to A&E if you experience:¹

Severe difficulty breathing
Severe chest pain, pressure, tightness or squeezing in the middle of your chest that isn’t going away
Pain that is spreading to your arms, back, neck and jaw
Fatigue
Lips or skin turning very pale, blue or grey (this is easier to see on the palms of your hands if you have brown or black skin)

As well as the above, phone 999 or go to A&E if you child is:

Breathing fast, stopping breathing or pausing breathing
Pulling in at their throat area or if their windpipe is more prominent
Is limp, floppy or not responding like they normally do
Is less than 3 months old and has a temperature of 38°c or above or 36°c or less and has not had a vaccination in the past 2 days

How to treat a chesty cough

If you have an acute cough, you may not need any treatment.^1,13 However, if you’re wondering which is the best cough mixture for chesty coughs, you can use:¹³

Chesty cough syrups
Medications for chesty coughs (although, there is no evidence to support the use of these and they should not be given to children under the age of six)
Cough sweets
Paracetamol or ibuprofen
A hot drink made with lemon and honey
Pelargonium (a herbal medicine)

In addition, you should make sure you get plenty of rest and fluids.¹

Following these tips will not cure your cough but can help you to manage the symptoms while you recover naturally.¹³ Speak to a pharmacist if you’re looking for a chest cough mixture for an infant or newborn.